Will your startup go public and capture a huge share of your market, or will it be value added that will be gobbled up by a hard-hitting unicorn?
“If the product doesn’t quite fit the market, there’s a third choice that too many entrepreneurs and their investors overlook: sell out,” said Kittu Kolluri, founder and general manager of Neotribe Ventures.
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In this article, aimed at early-stage founders, Kolluri shares a detailed framework with timelines that can help determine whether it’s time to look for a buyer or keep reaching for the stars.
“How can you choose? While it’s not a trivial decision, it’s also not as difficult as you might think. There are only two gates: value and growth.”
Thanks for reading TC+ this week,
Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, businessroundups.org+
@your protagonist
Table of Contents
5 Questions Emerging Managers Should Ask Before Selecting LPs
Image Credits: Constantine Johnny (Opens in a new window) /Getty Images
Before an emerging manager can start supporting startups, they must first gain the trust of limited partners who are willing to bet on their investment thesis.
“Each step on the decision-making ladder increases the risk of being fired, lost information or miscommunication, which can be mitigated if you can reach decision makers early on,” said Linda Greub, co-founder and managing partner of Avestria Ventures.
Based on her own experience, Greub shares five questions that emerging managers can use “to find the investors most likely to believe in you.”
Making layoffs less stupid: how to announce job cuts and retain top performers
Image Credits: Abu Hanifah (Opens in a new window) /Getty Images
Startups typically don’t have a lot of managerial talent, which means layoffs are often — no, usual – treated with a lack of empathy and poor communication.
More than once it was my responsibility to look someone in the eye and tell them their job was gone. The “best” training I’ve received? A 60-minute briefing with a consultant who told me I’d be fine if I stuck to the script.
Leslie Crowe, talent partner at Bain Capital Ventures, says founders who create a communications plan and “opt to be generous where possible” can do former employees good and maintain the trust of those who stay.
“You are in charge, for better or for worse. This may feel like one of the worst moments in your company’s journey, but your team will respect you when you take responsibility for taking over or any missteps that led to this point.
Is ocean conservation the next climate technology? 7 investors explain why they’re going all-in
Image Credits: Douglas Klug (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Marine industries such as fishing and oil exploration are inherently extractive, but advances in technology and increased environmental awareness have ushered in a new era.
“Founders and investors have been looking for opportunities to conserve and even improve the ocean’s resources, rather than exploit them,” reports Tim De Chant.
He interviewed seven investors to explore some parallels between climate technology and ocean conservation technology and learn more about the opportunities they are looking for:
- Tim Agnew, Managing Partner, Bold Ocean Ventures
- Peter Bryant, Program Director (Oceans), Builders Initiative and Kate Danaher, General Manager (Oceans and Seafood), S2G Ventures
- Daniela V. Fernandez, founder and CEO, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, managing partner, Seabird Ventures
- Rita Sousa, Partner, Faber Ventures
- Christian Lim, Managing Director, SWEN Blue Ocean Partners
- Reece Pacheco, Partner Propeller
Pitch Deck Teardown: Uber’s $200K Pre-Seed Deck From 2008
Image Credits: Uber (Opens in a new window)
The word “disruptive” is used so often that it has lost much of its impact. But when Uber rolled out the service in San Francisco in 2011, it really changed the way people get around.
Before the transportation giant hit its staggering $69 billion market cap today, its founders raised a $200,000 pre-seed round in 2008 to validate their idea that “digital hail can now make street hail obsolete.”
This is their original deck:
- Cover slide
- Problem slide (“Cabins in 2008”)
- Solution Slide (“Digital Hail Could Now Make Street Hail Obsolete”)
- Solution Slide (“UberCab Concept”)
- Product Slide 1 (“1-Click Car Service”)
- Value Proposition Slide 1 (“Key Differentiators”)
- Mission (“Operating Principles”)
- How it works slide 1 (“UberCab Apps”)
- How It Works Slide 2 (“UberCab.com”)
- Positioning slider (“Use Cases”)
- Value Proposition Slide 2 (“User Benefits”)
- Value Proposition Slide 3 (“Environmental Benefits”)
- Product Slide 2 (“UberCab Fleet”)
- Go-to-market slide 1 (“Initial Service Area”)
- Technology Overview Slide (“Technology”)
- Competitive advantage slide (“Demand Forecasting”)
- Market Size Slide (“General Market”)
- Market Segmentation Slide (“Composition of the Market”)
- Go-to-Market Slide 2 (“Target Cities”)
- Scenario Planning (“Potential Outcomes”)
- “Why now?” slide (“SmartPhones Aug 2008”)
- Roadmap Slide 1 (“Future Optimizations”)
- Marketing Slide (“Marketing Ideas”)
- Road map slide 2 (“Location-Based Service”)
- Traction slide (“Progress to date”)
Dear Sophie: Domestic pilot program for H-1B and L visa stamping?
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/businessroundups.org
Dear Sophie,
I’m in the US on an H-1B, which my employer recently extended. However, I do not have an H-1B visa stamp in my passport because I originally had a change of status from F-1 VOTE OPT.
It has been over three years since I visited my family in India and I would really like to do so now but I am concerned about how long it will take to get my H-1B visa to return to the USA.
How long does it take to get an interview for an H-1B visa stamp? Am I eligible for a visa interview waiver? How do I get one? Can I do it from the US this year?
– Hungry home
